Cinderella: A Pokemon Fairytale
by BersealiaDreamheart
Summary: The world of Pokémon takes a new spin on this classic fairytale. After her father leaves on a trip, Pokémon trainer Duchess Ella is reduced to a servant by her envious stepmother and stepsister. And yet she refuses to give into despair. With the help of her Pokémon friends, a headstrong prince, and a legendary Pokémon, Cinderella strives to make her dreams come true.
1. Prologue

11/23/17 Update: I've updated the writing and grammar thanks to Grammarly, and I hope this pleases everyone. I'm having a little difficulty with writing due to more work hours and other novels I'm working on. I'm sorry for delays and any inconvenience, but I promise to finish this sorry. Thank you for your patience.

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Prologue

Long, long ago, in a faraway land of Pokémon, there was a small kingdom. It was the ideal place for people and Pokémon, both peaceful and harmonious. In a chateau in the countryside, there lived honorary friend of the king, Duke Richard Livingston. He lived there with his loyal Lucario, Duke Valiant of the Order of the Aurum, his wife, and their beautiful little daughter, Ella. They were kind and devoted parents and gave Ella everything she wanted, including four Pokémon of her own; a Charmander named Rex, a Ralts named Ariel, a Flaffy named Bella, and a baby Absol named Mikey.

Ella loved her mother. She told her many stories about magic and legendary Pokémon, including Jirachi the Wish Maker. The little girl loved her mother's stories and grew up believing in magic. When Ella was around ten years old, her mother grew sick. Very sick. The doctors and the duke tried everything, but it was to no avail. As Ella stood by her mother's deathbed, she made the little girl promise her to be brave and kind, no matter what happened. The little girl promised and, sadly, her mother died the next day.

After a time of morning, the family went on with their lives. Ella and her Pokémon trained under the talent and expertise of Valiant and soon Ella became a strong Pokémon trainer. She even kept her promise to her mother and, due to that promise, she was beloved by everyone who met her. She even made a friend with a young man named Philip, who was charmed by her kindness.

The Duke loved and cared for his daughter, but after a few years, he felt like she needed a mother's care. So he married again. His second wife was a beautiful widow from a good family with two daughters of her own. There was Patricia, who was about Ella's age, and Sabrina, the youngest. Patricia was lazy, disdain, and had no interest in Ella, but Sabrina was nicer and welcomed Ella as her own sister. Remembering her mother's words, Ella made Sabrina make the same promise about being kind and brave and the two became beloved sisters.

After Ella and Patricia completed finishing school, Ella's father said he was going on a long trip. He gave Ella Valiant as her guardian and left for his journey. The minute the duke left the chateau, the stepmother's true nature was revealed—a vain, cruel, and selfish woman. She only married Cinderella's father for his status title and money and was bitterly jealous of Ella's popularity and beauty.

Things changed quickly. The poor girl was forced from her room and banished to the attic with her Pokémon. Mikey and Rex, now a Charizard, were kicked out of the house, being deemed by the stepmother as "too ugly". Worse yet, Ella, Ariel, Bella, and Valiant were forced to become servants in their own house. They swept, dusted, washed, cooked, and cleaned. Patricia stole Ella's room, clothes, and possessions for herself while Sabrina was forbidden to help her stepsister. All Ella wore were worn-out rags which got covered in dirt and cinders, and so she was called Cinderella.

Yet throughout it all, Cinderella and Sabrina kept their promise and remained kind and gentle. They never took any offense towards Patricia or the stepmother and Cinderella completed many tasks and chores without complaint. She also made friends with all the Pokémon of the chateau, who loved her for her kindness. They helped her with her chores while Valiant took over her lessons. Even with all of their hardships and daily struggles, Cinderella and her friends remained hopeful, that one day her father would return and Cinderella would regain the life so wrongfully taken from her.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Cinderella? Cinderella!"

Cinderella was awakened from her sleep by a bouncing, fluffy thing on her bed. She opened her eyes to find Rose, her beloved Eevee, jumping on her right. She bounced on the bed with a big smile on her face.

"Wake up, wake up!" Rose sang in a cheerful voice. "Rise and shine! It's bright and early this morning and it's going to be a sunny day!"

Cinderella sighed and sat up in bed. Valiant was standing at the head of Cinderella's bed, holding her work clothes in his arms. They had been washed.

"Ella, it's almost dawn," said Valiant, "You should get up and start doing your chores before your stepmother gets up. Then we'll continue your lessons after your stepfamily leaves for town."

Cinderella stretched herself awake and got out of bed, giving Rose a good morning hug. It wasn't unusual for Cinderella's Pokémon to talk to her. She always had the ability to talk to Pokémon when she was a little girl, just as Valiant knew how to talk human language from his master.

Cinderella stood up and stretched herself. She went to an old vanity mirror as she undid her braids from last night. She looked every bit like her mother. She had the same long golden wavy hair, flawless apple blossom skin, a diamond-shaped face, and blue almond-shaped eyes. Her Gardevoir, Ariel, and her Ampharos, Bella, were both just getting up from their nests in the corner of the attic.

Cinderella walked behind the folding screen. Her friends Mimi the Marill and Flo the Vulpix were back there, having already set up a small tub full of warm water for Cinderella. As she bathed and dressed, six pink Vivillon made her bed and fluffed her pillow. A Buneary named Patch helped Ariel and Bella mend Cinderella's work clothes. They then helped dress Cinderella and brush her hair.

With Cinderella ready for the morning, Valiant then served everyone a breakfast of bread, apples, scraps left over from last night's dinner. It was some of the few foods Sabrina could save for Cinderella and her Pokémon, as her mother and Patricia ate large meals and many second helpings.

As they ate, Mimi asked, "Cinderella, how can you stand that mean old lady and rude girl?"

"'Be kind, be brave, keep a smile on your face, and in the end, happiness will come to you!'" piped Rose, "That's her mommy's motto."

Cinderella smiled. Rose had the same personality as her: kind, serene, clever, industrious, and lovable. She would always smile for everyone.

"But it's been six months and Cinderella's father hasn't returned," said Flo.

"Her stepmother may be ambitious and grim, but she can't keep this up forever." said Valiant, "Everyone in the royal court knows who Ella is, and not even they cannot be easily fooled."

Cinderella sighed. "I was having such a wonderful dream, too."

"What was it about?" asked Bella.

"I can't tell you," said Cinderella.

"Why not?" asked the Pokémon.

Cinderella smiled. "Because if you tell a wish, it won't come true."

After finishing breakfast, Cinderella walked from her room with her Pokémon and started with her chores. On the second floor, Ariel and Bella opened the curtains while Cinderella, Valiant, and Rose quietly made their way towards the stairs leading down to the main floor. Along the way, they saw her stepmother's Purugly, Lester, was already awake and sitting near the banister.

Lester admired Cinderella and despised his mistress, and for very good reason. He was beloved by his mistress as a Glameow, but once he evolved, he was turned away by her for no longer being cute. Patricia and her mother had very specific opinions about Pokémon, preferring beauty over everything and seeing anything else as ugly. Cinderella, however, still saw the same fun, witty Lester he was before, cute or not cute. So he grew further away from his mistress and closer to Cinderella.

The minute he saw Cinderella, Lester stretched himself and walked over.

"Good morning, Ella, dear." he said, "I assume it's time for my morning saucer of Moo Moo milk?"

Cinderella smiled as she always did. Lester and Valiant were some of the few who still called her by her real name.

"Yes, it is." said Cinderella, "I would never forget you, Lester."

"I still can't believe my mistress only liked me for being cute as a Glameow," Lester grumbled.

"And in your own special way, you are still cute, Lester," said Cinderella.

Lester smiled gratefully as he followed Cinderella, Valiant, and Rose down the stairs. Ariel and Bella finished opening the curtains and started dusting. In the kitchen, Cinderella poured Lester a saucer of milk while Valiant lit the stove. Today was the day the family had breakfast with tea in bed. While Cinderella got out the trays and China, Rose went outside with a basket.

She found Cinderella's Charizard, Rex, sleeping near the kitchen door, snoring loudly. Mikey, Cinderella's Absol, was already up and running around outside the stables, scattering Pokéfeed for the chateau's many Unfezant and feeding the family's Rapidash, Jamie. Flo, Mimi, Patch, and Vivillon had already made it outside from the attic window and started folding the dried laundry.

Rose went over to Rex and bounced on his tummy.

"Oh, Rex!" she sang in a cheerful voice, "Wake up!"

Rex grunted sleepily and rolled over on his stomach. Rose slid off while Rex went back to snoring. She nudged his wings.

"Come on, Rex, it's time to wake up!" she said, "It's a nice and beautiful day!"

"Five more minutes…" mumbled Rex, "Just five more minutes…"

Rose frowned. Rex was in one of his I'm-not-getting-up-today moods. Just then, two Pikachu and two Dedenne came out of the woods. It was Matt and Chase, a pair of wild Pikachu twin brothers who were friends with Cinderella. The Dedenne were also their friends, Sparky and Sparkle. They lived in the forest, but often hang out in the barn were Mikey and Rex slept. Mikey spotted them, too.

"Good morning!" said the Pikachu twins.

"Good morning, Rose!" said the Dedenne.

"Good morning, Matt and Chase!" said Rose cheerfully. "And you too, Sparky and Sparkle! It's lovely morning, isn't it?"

"If it is a good morning." said Mikey, "I tried to wake Rex to help me with the barn work, but he went right back to sleep."

"We'll get him up," said Chase.

The Pikachu twins smirked as they walked over to the snoozing Charizard. In synchronized queue, two's red cheeks began to spark. A bolt of electricity discharged from their bodies, zapping Rex with a double Thunder Shock attack. Rex jumped to his feet, now fully awake and angry.

"I'm up!" Rex roared, "Don't do that!"

"Keep your voice down, Rex," said Sparkle, "You're going to wake up that mean lady."

"You still don't need to zap me awake." said Rex, "I hate it when those two do that."

"Matt and Chase, that wasn't very nice," said Rose, frowning.

"Well, how else can you wake up a snoring giant?" said Matt.

"He'd probably sleep all morning if he could," said Chase.

Rose shook her head. "It still isn't nice."

Cinderella called from the kitchen. "Rex, could you help Rose and Mikey bring me some eggs so I can make breakfast? Please?"

Rex growled to himself as he knew he had no choice. He went over to the Unfezant coop as he was asked. Rex and Mikey helped Rose gathered with about a dozen eggs and placed them in the basket. As Rex and Mikey were left to clean the coop and stables, Rose took the basket inside to Cinderella. The stove was ready and Cinderella was already heating the tea. Three trays with a teapot, breakfast plater, teacup, and saucer were out on the table. Bella had finished slicing bread and laying out butter trays and Ariel was keeping the bacon warm.

"Thank you, Rose," said Cinderella.

She made the eggs into three omelets and placed each one on a plate. She also placed two slices of bread and three pieces of bacon. They then placed the tea and teacups on the trays. Bella had also made Pokémon food for everyone's Pokémon and placed them in feeding bowls. Today, the Pokémon were having Pecha and Bluk berries with sugar and honey. They were just getting ready to deliver the breakfast upstairs when the service bells rang.

"CINDERELLA!" screamed Patricia's voice from upstairs.

"Coming!" Cinderella called. She looked at Ariel. "Ariel, please help me carry the breakfast trays."

Ariel's eyes glowed blue. Two of the trays also glowed the same color aura and they were lifted into the air by Psychic. Cinderella and Ariel carefully carried the trays up. Bella and Rose followed behind with the bowls of Pokémon food. They stopped by the first room, which used to be Cinderella's room. She knocked on the door.

"Enter." said a voice.

Opening the door, Cinderella and Bella walked in. Patricia was sitting up what used to be Cinderella's bed, still her nightgown and cap and glaring spitefully at Cinderella. Patricia wasn't even half as beautiful as Cinderella was. She had long, thick brown hair, round, deep-set brown eyes, a thin, cold mouth, and a long, square face with a cleft chin. She was the spitting image of her mother, both in feature and disposition.

"Good morning, Patricia," said Cinderella with a smile.

"I didn't ask you anything." Patricia rudely replied.

Now, most people and Pokémon would be insulted or angered by Patricia's rude behavior, but Cinderella was still smiling and didn't take notice. It made Patricia mad that Cinderella never took offense or complained about anything she and her mother did to make Cinderella's life miserable. It made her hate Cinderella even more. Cinderella smiled around the room at five other beds with Pokémon in them.

"Everybody up." said Cinderella, "We brought you all breakfast."

"Well, it's about time," said Patricia grumpily.

Cinderella smiled as she placed the tray in front of her stepsister. Rose, Ariel, and Bella went around to the other beds and gave Patricia's Pokémon their food. There was Blair the Braixen, Buttons the Furfrou, Emerald the Leafeon, Princess the Altaria, and Jewel the white Florges. They smiled brightly as Bella set their breakfast before them.

"Breakfast, everyone," said Bella.

"Thank you, Bella," said Blair in a warm, friendly voice.

"Mm-mmm! Sugar and honeyed berries!" said Emerald, "My favorite!"

Like Lester, Patricia's Pokémon loved Cinderella just as much as they hated Patricia and her mother. They were treated better than Lester and the others, but only if they only lived up to Patricia's expectations. Yesterday, for example, Patricia's Milotic, Gloria, had accidentally drenched her with water while helping her show off for a group of noblemen and she ended up being locked in the cellar all night with no food or water. Cinderella helped her out by sharing her food with her.

Patricia sipped her tea and tested the warmth of her food.

"Just right." she said, "It's better than yesterday. Lay out my green dress for today and wash and mend my laundry."

"Yes, Patricia," said Cinderella. "Ariel, Bella, help out Patricia, please."

Ariel went to the closet and got out a green dress with white lace. As she ironed the wrinkles out, Bella gathered Patricia's dirty laundry and gathered it in a sack. After the dress was ironed, Bella hung it up for later on the changing screen.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked.

"No," said Patricia, bluntly, "Get my laundry washed and come back to help me dress later."

"Yes, Patricia," said Cinderella, "Enjoy your breakfast, everyone."

Patricia scowled as Cinderella left the room with Rose, Ariel, and Bella. They went down the hall until they reached Sabrina's room. Patricia and Sabrina used to share the room until Cinderella was sent to the attic. Cinderella knocked before entering and found Sabrina already sitting up in bed. Her Espurr, Berry, sitting by her side. Sabrina looked just like Patricia, but had golden hair and blue eyes like Cinderella, taking after her late father. Cinderella smiled as she placed the tray in front of Sabrina.

"Good morning, Sabrina," said Cinderella.

"Good morning, Ella." said Sabrina in a polite voice.

"Good morning, Cinderella!" meowed Berry.

Rose gave Berry her bowl of real berries. Sabrina and Berry were happy to share what food they had with Cinderella and the others.

"How are you and your Pokémon doing this morning?" asked Sabrina as she started to eat.

"Not bad, Sabrina," Cinderella replied, "Not bad."

Sabrina swallowed her food before talking. "I don't have much laundry this morning. Berry plans to dress me this morning so you can get your chores done faster."

"And what are Stepmother's plans?" asked Cinderella as she gathered the laundry.

"We'll be leaving for the town at nine o'clock as usual," said Sabrina, "And return home at six o'clock in time for dinner. We'll be going to a tea party, and then out shopping for the new clothes Patricia ordered for her and her Pokémon for the Perfect Princess contest tomorrow."

Cinderella knew all about the Perfect Princess contest. It was an annual contest where ladies worked and performed with their Pokémon to complete various tasks before the royal court. It was originally done by princesses and ladies of the court, but now it was also open to commoners, too. Cinderella was last year's winner, and despite her stepmother's refusal to let her enter the contest, she was still going to perform again anyway.

"But the judges for looking for the best groomed Pokémon," said Cinderella, "Not the best dressed. I saw the clothes Patricia got for her and her Pokémon and I don't think they look good on any of them."

Sabrina had to agree. In fact, the clothes Patricia ordered were obnoxious and ridiculous. They matched Patricia's dress which was just as tacky and inappropriate. Patricia knew nothing about dressing the right way to impress others. Cinderella tried to give her better advice on what to wear and to train for the contest, but Patricia continually ignored her and slacked off, believing she was only saying those things to ruin her chances of winning.

"Cinderella?!" yelled a voice.

Sabrina gasped. "Oh no, it's Mother! You must go quickly, Ella!"

"Cinderella! Where are you?" called the stepmother.

Bella and Ariel gathered the laundry quickly.

"Coming, Stepmother," Cinderella called.

She, Rose, Ariel, and Bella quickly left Sabrina's room and made her way to her stepmother's room at the end of the hall. Cinderella knocked on the door as she had been told before entering her stepmother's room.

"Enter." said a voice from within.

Cinderella opened the door and walked inside. The room had been refurnished since her father left. It no longer was a chamber for a husband and wife, just a wife. Her stepmother was sitting up in bed in her night garments, her graying hair sticking out from under nightcap and her face cold and hard as stone. Cinderella greeted her with a smile as she always did.

"Good morning, Stepmother," said Cinderella.

Her stepmother's face was expressionless as Cinderella set the last breakfast tray before her stepmother.

"What took you so long?" asked the Stepmother.

"I'm sorry, Stepmother," said Cinderella, "I was distracted."

"Lazy, you mean," said the stepmother as she poured some tea for herself, "What about the rest of your morning chores?"

"They're all finished," said Cinderella.

"Oh really? Did you open the curtains? Sweep the floors? Dust the house? Feed the Unfenzant and Rapidash? Clean the barn and stables? Retrieved the laundry?"

"Yes, Stepmother," said Cinderella.

Rose, Ariel, and Bella nodded.

"Good," said the stepmother, "Wash and mend the rest of the laundry and get on with the rest of your chores."

"Yes, Stepmother," said Cinderella.

Just then, there was a piercing shriek from Patricia's room. A few seconds later, Patricia came bursting into the room, screaming in horror as if she just witnessed someone being murdered.

"Mother! Mother! MOTHER!" she screamed.

Sabrina also came into the room, having heard the commotion from her room.

"What happened?" asked Sabrina.

Patricia could barely talk through her tears. "I-It was h-horrible! It w-was so-so-!"

"Patricia," said the stepmother calmly, "Stop crying and tell me what's wrong."

"Th-there were Rattata in my room!" cried Patricia, "Four ugly, dirty Rattata eating my Pokémon's food!" She pointed at Cinderella. "She did it! She did it on purpose!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Patricia," said Sabrina, "You know Ella wouldn't do such a thing."

"I didn't know anything about-" Cinderella began.

"Silence!" shouted the Stepmother, "Cinderella, it's quite clear you and your Pokémon are not doing your jobs properly! Now reclean the entire house from top to bottom! I want this entire place spotless by the time we return home this evening or you and those wretched Pokémon of yours won't have any meals for a week!"

Valiant heard the whole thing from out in the hall. He huffed as he knew who got Cinderella in trouble. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted four Rattata running from Patricia's room, their faces sticky with honey and berry juice. It was Pip, Jac, Louis, and Lil, who lived in the barn with Rex and Mikey. They sprinted down the steps and out the door. Valiant caught up with them, stopping them outside the door. The Rattata skidded to a halt at the sight of the Lucario.

"Ah! My lord!" gasped Louis.

Valiant angrily crossed his arms, looking from one guilty face to the other.

"How many times have I told you not to enter the house while Ella's stepfamily is home?" he asked them.

"Uh, five," said Jac. "Exactly five."

"I shouldn't have to tell you at all!" Valiant scolded, "You know Ella's stepmother and Patricia hate Rattata! Now I have to delay everyone's training and lessons just to help Ella clean the house all over again!"

"Hey, it's not our fault we were locked in with that stupid brat!" retorted Lil.

"We're sorry, Valiant," said Pip, "Cinderella's sugar and honeyed berries are our favorite snack. We couldn't help ourselves."

Valiant scowled at them, still angry.

"Your punishment must fit the mishap." he said, "Once Ella's stepfamily leaves, you will clean the whole house in her place!"

The Rattata dropped their heads and groaned. There was no way they were getting out of this mess.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was a long morning after the Rattata's misadventure. Cinderella, Valiant, Rose, Ariel, Bella, Rex, and Mikey worked overtime as they juggled between recleaning the house and stables, washing the breakfast dishes, and getting everyone dressed and ready for the day. By the time Patricia, Sabrina, and their mother left for town, the Rattata were left with cleaning half the house from top to bottom. As the Rattata worked, Valiant started everyone's lessons.

This morning's lessons were music, posture, and dancing. This morning, Cinderella and her Pokémon sang to "Cherri Blossom Blooms" while she played the violin, Ariel played the piano, Rex played the cello, Valiant played the flute, and Bella played the harp. They had been practicing this for two months and the Pokémon could now sing it in human.

After their music lesson, they practiced walking and posture of nobility and practiced waltzing. In finishing school, Cinderella was at the top of her class as well as Ariel, Bella, Rex, and Mikey. Rose never went to finishing school as she wasn't even born yet at the time. However, she learned quickly over the last few months. She now knew how to stand, walk, dance, talk, and eat like a proper lady.

After taking a break for lunch, Valiant took the Pokémon outside for their battle training. Ariel, Bella, Rex, and Mikey had years of battle experience and were all quite strong. Rose wasn't as strong as the others when it came to fighting, but she was very good at defense. In fact, she found she could fight and dodge better when she danced.

While Valiant practiced with some advanced training with Ariel, Bella, Rex, and Bella, Cinderella and Rose rode off with Jamie for a little free time. They crossed the bridge over the creek and rode into the nearby forest.

They had been to this forest many times. They often came to explore and play here. It was their secret getaway to a whole new world. A world without a mean stepmother and stepsister. A world where they were explorers, princesses, and anything else besides servants.

Most of all, it was the place they first met, the day after Cinderella's father left. Her stepmother's bullying had become too much for her that she fled into the forest in despair. While crying under a tree, Cinderella found a sickly Flareon with a newly hatched Eevee. Flareon was already dying and begged Cinderella to take care of her baby for her. Feeling sorry for them, Cinderella took the baby Eevee home with her and raised her as her own, nicknaming her after her favorite flower, the rose.

Rose had become her reason to not give up hope. She had given Cinderella the heart to move forward and continue on through all their hardships.

They found the tree where they first met and sat under it. Jamie laid down next to them, relaxing in the shade.

"Cinderella, are we still going to the Perfect Princess Contest tomorrow?" asked Rose.

"Yes, we will," Cinderella replied.

"But, Ella," said Jamie, worried, "What if your stepmother and Patricia see you?"

Cinderella smiled. "They won't know we're there. We'll be in disguise and I'll wear a mask at all times."

"Okay," said Rose, "What are the performances going to be?"

"They could be anything." said Cinderella, "A Pokémon battle, a waltz, even a race. You never know. But the last performance is always a freestyle performance, meaning you can do whatever you want in five minutes."

"So what happens if you win?" asked Rose, "Do we win something?"

"A prize money of 10,000 Poké and lunch for two with a nobleman of the royal court."

Rose smiled. "Lunch with someone sounds like fun!"

Just then, Jamie jumped to her hooves. "Oh, Ella! Look!"

Cinderella and Rose looked at what Jamie just saw. Something was stumbling in the distance with two caped figures. It was another Rapidash accompanied by a man and a Grovyle. This Rapidash was a shiny with a silver mane, but it was hardly burning. It was carrying another man in hunting clothes and an Umbreon slumped over it's back.

Cinderella recognized this man as her friend Philip. Both the Umbreon and Rapidash were his Pokémon, Alex and Lacy. All of them looked weak and ruffled like they had been in a fight and lost. Cinderella had no idea who the man was or the Grovyle.

"Help… Bandits…" wheezed Lacy the shiny Rapidash, "We've been poisoned."

Lacy only walked two paces before she collapsed. Philip and Alex the Umbreon came down with her. The Grovyle and his master quickly knelt down to help them, clearly worried.

"Oh no, Cinderella, they're hurt!" cried Rose.

Cinderella got to her feet and rushed over with Rose and Jamie.

"Philip!" cried Cinderella.

The man and his Grovyle noticed Cinderella and her friends as they approached. This man was wearing a black cape, hat, and mask that hid his identity from view.

"You know him, miss?" said the man.

"Yes, sir." said Cinderella, "I'm Ella Livingston. I'm a friend of Philip's."

"What's going on?" said a voice.

Cinderella jumped and whipped her head around. Valiant was standing behind her along with Ariel, Rex, Mikey, and Bella. The Lucario stared around at the scene in front of him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Valiant, they need help!" said Cinderella.

"Please help us." pleaded the man, "We've been ambushed by bandits. My apprentice's Pokémon have been poisoned."

Valiant's face turned grim. "Ariel, teleport us back to the house. They need to be treated immediately. Jamie, run back and tell the other Pokémon to keep a lookout for bandits."

Jamie dashed away quickly. Ariel's eyes glowed as she concentrated. There was a flash of light and the group found themselves in the living room of Cinderella's house. Philip was laid down in one of the two armchairs near the fireplace. Alex, Lucy, and the Grovyle were set down close to the fireplace, which Rex lit up with Flamethrower.

"Please, draw the curtains." said the Grovyle, "We mustn't be seen."

Cinderella was surprised to hear the Grovyle talk human speech, but she and Ariel quickly drew the window curtains, making the room dark. Rex lit the chandelier candles to brighten the room. Bella lit up her ears and tail ball with Flash to further light up the room.

With the windows covered, the man removed his cape, hat, and mask to reveal a middle-aged man. He had greying black hair, a thick beard and mustache, and round green eyes were gentle, yet resilient. He wore the clothes of nobility and a sword embroidered with the kingdom's royal crest hung on a scabbard from his belt. The man went to the other armchair near the fireplace and sat down.

Cinderella, Bella, and Ariel hurried to the kitchen. They prepared a tub of warm water, some tea made of medicinal herbs and berry juice, and clean bandages. They then returned to the living room quickly. Valiant was trying to slow down the poison's effects with Heal Pulse.

Cinderella gave out the tea to their guests. "Here, drink this. It will help you."

The Pokémon all smelled the tea, which smelled good. They all took a sip. Cinderella and Bella held up Lucy's and Alex's cups of tea to help them drink more easily. They were surprised that it tasted really sweet. Philip's mentor and the Grovyle also drank some tea. The purple tinge disappeared from Lucy's and Alex's faces as the tea cured their poisoning. In just a moment, Alex and Lucy were already sitting up, reenergized.

"Alex!" chirped Rose as she snuggled him.

"Are you two alright?" asked Valiant, "How do you feel?"

"I feel great," said Alex, surprised.

"So do I!" said Lucy.

"What is this tea?" asked Grovyle, "It tastes really good."

"It's a medicinal tea my mistress made herself." said Valiant, "Traditional medicines are bitter, but if you mix them with certain berries, it will cut down the bitterness without decreasing the effects."

Cinderella could now check over Philip. His jacket sleeve was torn and his arm had a cut near the shoulder. Thankfully, it was just a scratch. Removing Philip's jacket and rolling up his sleeve, Cinderella gently cleaned and bandaged his wounds.

She looked at this face as she nursed his injuries. Philip was a handsome young man with dark brown hair and was at least a head taller than Cinderella. Years of fencing and Pokémon riding and training had made him quite strong and given him tough hands.

As Cinderella was tying off his bandages, Philip moaned as he came to. He blinked his blue eyes at her.

"Ella?" he said softly.

"Philip!" said Cinderella, "You're alright!"

Cinderella smiled. She was greatly relieved that her friend was awake and alright.

Philip looked around the place. "Wh-where am I?"

"You're in the living room of my house," said Cinderella.

Suddenly, Philip tried to get up, but Cinderella stopped him.

"Wait! Where are Alex and Lacy?!" he gasped.

"It's alright," said the man, "They're right here."

Cinderella showed Philip his Pokémon by the fireplace.

"You have nothing to fear, our friend." said Valiant, "They are cured of their poisoning and are fully healed. They'll feel better in no time."

Cinderella gave Philip some tea. "Drink this. It will help you feel better."

Philip sipped the tea and color returned to his face. Philip's mentor smiled gratefully at Cinderella.

"Thank you for your hospitality." he said, "You are most kind."

Philip looked back at Cinderella. "I thought we were done for. Ella, Valiant. Everyone. Thank you. You saved us."

"Well, I couldn't stand there and do nothing." said Cinderella, "You're my friend. I had to help you. But Philip, what happened? How were Alex and Lacy poisoned in the first place?"

"Well," said Philip, "My mentor and I were out with our Pokémon in the forest to hunt for Pokémon to train with, when we were ambushed by two men with Pokémon."

"Who were these men?" asked Valiant.

"We don't know." said Philip, "We knew they were bandits, though. They had a Houndoom and Venusaur with them. The Venusaur knew Venoshock, which poisoned Lacy and Alex. We barely managed to escape from them. We tried getting help from a woman and her daughters. One daughter wanted to help, but her mother and sister wouldn't let her. They thought we were bandits and insulted us."

"Was one of the daughters named Sabrina?" asked Valiant.

Philip was surprised. "Why, yes. She was the one who tried to help us."

"That must've been my stepmother and stepsisters." said Cinderella, "I'm really sorry."

"What your stepmother did is not your fault, Ella," said Valiant.

Cinderella shook her head. "But they don't know what they're doing."

Just then a man's voice from outside made everyone jump. "Search this area! They've got to be around here somewhere!"

Cinderella and her Pokémon had no idea who that was. Her stepmother didn't say anything about any guests coming over, and they certainly wouldn't come while she was out. Cinderella went over to one of the windows and peeked through the curtains.

Outside the house were two rough and mean-looking men. Both of them wore traveling clothes with shabby armor and were armed with swords and bows. They had a Venusaur and Houndoom with them, too. A withered flower, broken horns, and their dull appearance showed two Pokémon who had seen better days. The Pokémon were sniffing the air and ground, searching for something.

That wasn't the only thing. Tied up and gagged with them in a carriage was Cinderella's stepfamily.

Patricia, Sabrina, and their mother were locked inside the carriage along with the driver. Their Pokémon were also tied up, chained to the carriage like prisoners. Blair and Berry were the most scared, trembling near the windows.

Cinderella opened her mouth to say something, but Philip ran over and covered her mouth with his hand. He took one peek through the curtain.

"That's them!" whispered Philip, "Those four are the ones who attacked us!"

"Those men?" said Cinderella.

Valiant took a look through the curtain. "Bandits holding my mistress's stepfamily hostage? There's a mistake they'll regret."

He began to make orders. "Ariel, Bella, secure house. Rex, Mikey, take Lester and hold them off at the front door. We're leaving out the kitchen door for a surprise attack."

Ariel teleported Bella and herself away as Philip and his mentor followed Cinderella and Valiant towards the kitchen. Rose, Alex, Lacy, and Grovyle followed close. They left the living room into the entrance hall, to the drawing room, and into the dining room. They were just entering the hallway to the kitchen when they heard the front doors rattle. Then there was pounding as something kicked on the doors.

"They're breaking in!" gasped Rose.

"Don't worry about that, my lady." said Valiant, "Just keep moving. Make haste."

Rose did as she was told and everyone ran into the kitchen. They all exited out the side door and raced around the side of the chateau for the front door. The two men were trying to kick in the door themselves. As they started to attack the door again, the doors swung open and the bandits were met by an angry Charizard, Absol, and Purugly, hissing and growling at them.

Rex stood tall as he flexed his claws and spread his wings wide in a show of strength. One of the men ignored this warning and drew his sword.

"Out of our way, you overgrown flying lizard, or I'll knock your head clean off!" he growled.

Rex roared as he breathed a Flamethrower attack at the men. They staggered back with a yelp. Valiant summoned an Aura Sphere into his paws and threw it at the Houndoom. The Houndoom was blasted into a tree and fell on the grass, knocked out cold. The bandits and Venusaur turned to face the one who attacked them.

The most scarred of the men smirked as he saw Philip and his mentor. It seemed that he was in charge.

"There you are!" said the bandit, "We've been searching for you because we're not done with you! Hand over all your valuables and Pokémon if you wish for these fine ladies to live!"

Cinderella grew more and more scared as concern grew for her stepfamily. Patricia and her mother may have been mean to her and her Pokémon, but she didn't want them to get hurt by two bandits. Sabrina was also among them and would likely be hurt, too. Or worse.

"You cowards!" shouted Philip angrily, "You're more low than I thought! Alex, use Shadow Ball!"

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade!" Philip's mentor ordered.

The leaves on Grovyle's arms glowed green as he charged forward. At the same time, a sphere of dark energy formed in Alex's mouth and he shot it at the Venusaur. The Shadow Ball hit Venusaur, but it hardly did much damage. Grovyle reached the Venusaur and started to slash at it with his arm leaves. Venusaur headbutted him and Grovyle was knocked back. Grovyle backflipped to avoid crashing and stood back with Alex.

"Venusaur, Venoshock!" ordered the scarred bandit.

Venusaur fired a glob of purple ooze towards Alex and Grovyle. Cinderella got scared. If that attack hit Alex, he would get poisoned all over again.

"Rose, use Protect!" cried Cinderella.

Rose jumped in front of Alex and Grovyle and formed a magical barrier, blocking the attack. The bandits didn't expect this. Philip was equally surprised, yet relieved at the same time.

"Leave them alone!" Cinderella yelled at the men, "And let my family go! They have nothing to do with this!"

"Maybe so," said the tall bandit, "But we can't let Pokémon like that slip away. These Pokémon could fetch a high price. Venusaur, Razor Leaf!"

"Quick!" Cinderella said to Rose, "Deflect it with Swift!"

"Grovyle, Rapid Seed!" shouted Philip's mentor.

Rose summoned several gold stars and, with a flick of her tail, threw them the at vines. At the same time, Grovyle began rapidly spitting a barrage of seeds at the vines. The two attacks collided with the vines in a loud explosion.

Cinderella's friends started to attack, but Valiant stopped them.

"Stop." he said, "This is Ella and Philip's battle."

The bandit leader sneered. "You've got some nerve, girl. You and that boy want to battle? Fine, then let's have a battle."

"Just one thing," said Cinderella, "If we win, you have to let my family and their Pokémon go."

"And if you lose?" said the bandit leader.

Cinderella swallowed as she stole all her courage. "Then you take me and my Pokémon instead."

"What?" shouted Patricia, "Is she crazy?"

"No, Ella! Don't do it!" cried Sabrina.

The bandit leader seemed satisfied with this deal.

"Fine," he said, "You win, we leave empty-handed. I win, you and your Pokémon go, the others stay. Let the battle begin."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

There was now a lot on the line.

Philip couldn't believe that Cinderella would do so much as to take her stepfamily's place in a high-stakes Pokémon battle. But that was Cinderella. When it came to someone else, she never thought of herself, only getting the person or Pokémon in question out of trouble. Philip often wondered if she was very brave or too kind to a fault.

But this was no time to talk about it. He had to help Ella win this battle.

"First side to defeat their opponent wins?" said Philip.

"Exactly." said the bandit leader.

"I'm going to enjoy this." said the other bandit, relaxing.

The bandit made the first move. "Venusaur, Vine Whip!"

Venusaur's vines moved quickly towards Rose. She used her dancing moves to avoid the vines. Sabrina and Patricia stared as Rose gracefully leaped over and around the vines. The Bandit leader smiled, impressed.

"Interesting, that Eevee can dodge and dance at the same time," he said.

Just then, one of the vines caught Rose by her hind leg. Venusaur lifted her into the air as she tried to shake herself loose.

"Rose!" cried Cinderella.

The bandit leader smiled. "Then again, maybe not."

"Alex, use Bite on the vines!" shouted Philip.

Alex charged forward with teeth bared and bit the vine holding Rose. He knew it wouldn't do a lot of damage, but it still hurt Venusaur. Venusaur bellowed in pain but didn't let Rose go. The chateau and farmyard Pokémon all chattered, yelling at Venusaur and urging Rose to keep shaking free.

"She's in trouble!" said Rex, "Let's help her!"

Rex and Mikey started forward, but Valiant stopped him, shaking his hand.

"Rose and Alex must fight this battle with only themselves and their trainers," he said.

"Rose is just a kid!" said Mikey, "She can't battle as well as we can!"

Again, Valiant stood firm. "Let her fight her own battles."

Rex and Mikey frowned but did as Valiant said and stepped back. Rose was still trying to shake free. Venusaur was trying to shake Alex off, but his teeth held strong. He used the other vine and wrapped it around Alex to try and pull him off. Still, Alex refused to let go.

"Rose, use Swift!" Cinderella called.

Rose summoned more golden stars and threw them at Venusaur's face. One of them poked him in the eye. Blinded and hurt, Venusaur lost his grip on Rose and Alex. Rose kept shaking and soon she slipped out of Venusaur's vines and came crashing to the ground. Alex released his bite and dropped down, landing perfectly on all fours. Rose got up as Venusaur recovered from the Swift attack.

"Venusaur, Razor Leaf!" barked the bandit leader.

Venusaur fired more leaves at Rose and Alex.

"Alex, use Psychic!" shouted Philip.

Alex's eyes glowed with a psychic aura and he concentrated. The leaves from Venusaur's Razor Leaf attack stopped in midair as Alex and Rose floated up into the air and out of harm's way. Sabrina and Patricia gasped.

"Look out, boss! That Umbreon knows a Psychic-type move!" called the smaller bandit.

"I know that now!" snapped the bandit leader, "I've got this under control, you idiot!"

Alex concentrated and the hovering leaves spun and shot right back at Venusaur. He bellowed as the leaves hit him with the power of Alex's Psychic move. The giant Pokémon was starting to slow down and was greatly injured with cuts and bruises.

The bandit leader, however, wasn't even fazed. He tossed a blue thing to Venusaur, which he caught in his mouth and chewed. Cinderella knew what it was. It was a Chesto Berry.

"Venusaur, use Rest!"

As Venusaur chewed on the berry, he fell asleep and all his injuries healed. He would have still been sleeping if he hadn't chewed and eaten the Chesto Berry beforehand. Cinderella and Philip gawked in disbelief.

"He recovered his energy!" gasped Cinderella.

Philip looked at their rival with determination. "Then we'll just have to do it all over again! Alex, Shadow Ball!"

"Rose, Swift!"

Alex summoned and fired another Shadow Ball and Rose fired more Swift stars. Again, Venusaur was hit by the attacks. It hurt, but it didn't do much damage to Venusaur. Cinderella and Philip both knew Venusaur was slow, but it had a great endurance.

"Throw the Umbreon at the boy!" shouted the bandit leader.

Venusaur's Vine Whip suddenly seized Alex, lifted him into the air, and threw him at Philip. They were both knocked to the ground. Cinderella and Sabrina gasped in shock. The forest and barnyard Pokémon all chattered angrily.

"That's not fair!" shouted Patch.

"Hey, that's dirty fighting!" Matt yelled, "That's cheating!"

"Illegal! Illegal!" squawked the male Unfezant.

Philip and Alex both got to their feet. At least Philip did. Alex was hurt pretty badly.

"Philip! Alex! Are you alright?" asked Cinderella, concerned.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." said Philip, "I'm going to need some protection to help Alex, though. Have Rose cover us."

Cinderella understood. "Rose, help Alex!"

"Venoshock!" barked the bandit leader, "Now!"

"Alex, Moonlight!"

Venusaur shot more poisonous blobs at the two Pokémon. As Rose protected herself and Alex with the magical shield, Alex's forehead ring began to glow. He channeled the moon's light below the horizon and Alex's wounds healed. Philip smirked.

"Two can play that game!" Philip boasted.

"But only one can win." said the bandit leader, unfazed, "Vine Whip!"

Venusaur reached out with his vines, but Alex and Rose were already moving. Rose dodged with her dance-like moves as Alex continued to make an active offense.

"Alex, use Dark Pulse!" Philip ordered.

"Rose, use Swift!" Cinderella called

Another sphere of dark energy formed at Alex's mouth, this time a dark purple. With a cry, he fired a beam of black and purple energy at Venusaur. At the same time, Rose summoned and threw more golden stars. The two attacks hit Venusaur head on.

"Venusaur, teach them a lesson with Razor Leaf!" shouted the bandit leader.

Venusaur didn't move.

"It can't move when it flinches!" said Philip, "Dark Pulse can make a target flinch and unable to attack! Alex, use Psychic with Rose's Swift attack!"

Alex's eyes glowed again while Rose summoned more stars. Alex used his mind to throw the stars straight at Venusaur. It hit their opponent hard and his started to collapse to the ground. Venusaur was down again.

The bandit leader smirked and tossed Venusaur another Chesto berry.

"Venusaur, Rest again!"

Again, Venusaur rested and his injuries healed and the Chesto Berry woke him up. Everyone gawked in disbelief. Alex was only stunned for a moment before he and Rose had to dodge Venusaur's vines.

"Not again!" said Philip.

"I have an endless supply of Chesto berries!" gloated the bandit leader, "Even with all your attacks, you can't defeat my Pokémon with your puny blows! I'll just heal it over and over again until your Pokémon don't have any more strength to fight back! Then I'll wipe you both out and take what's mine!"

Phillip groaned, stressed. "How are we going to beat him if his Pokémon keeps restoring its energy?"

"Don't give up, Ella and Philip."

Philip and Cinderella looked at the person speaking to them. It was Philip's mentor. He wasn't surprised or worried about the results of the battle.

"Think hard about his strategy." he said, "He's been using only one Pokémon and healing that one Pokémon with Rest, followed by a Chesto Berry. But there's a serious flaw in his battle strategy."

The two looked at each other. At first, they didn't understand.

Then it hit Philip. "Now I get it! He's just been healing the Venusaur every time its energy gets too low, but if he's using Rest with Chesto Berries…"

"Then maybe Venusaur is his only Pokémon." said Cinderella, "If we can just defeat Venusaur with one blow, he won't have any Pokémon left to battle."

"That's right, Ella," said Grovyle, "Now think; which combination of your Pokémon's moves will help you win?"

Philip whispered to Cinderella, "Alex knows Psychic, but it won't be strong enough to defeat Venusaur on its own. Ella, what other moves does Rose know?"

Cinderella became worried. "Well, Rose knows Protect and Swift, but I don't know any other moves she has. Rose doesn't like fighting."

Cinderella grew worried. If she didn't figure something out soon, she would lose the battle and she would have to go with the bandits with her Pokémon team. Rose was also getting a little antsy. Suddenly, small red shards started forming around Rose. Cinderella and Philip noticed this.

"Rose, what are you doing?" asked Cinderella, "What is that?"

Philip's face lightened up. "Alright! She knows Trump Card!"

"Trump Card? What good is that move?" asked the smaller bandit.

"Don't you know?" said Philip, "Trump Card is one of Eevee's most powerful moves, and combining it with my Umbreon's Psychic attack will amplify his attack's power."

"That's right, Philip," said Philip's mentor, "And the later in the battle Trump Card is used, the stronger it gets."

"And now that much time has passed in battle, her Eevee's Trump Card attack is higher than your Venusaur's defense." said Grovyle to the bandits, "You won't be able to stop this."

The bandits' bravo disappeared in the blink of an eye and they broke into a cold sweat. Cinderella's heart soared with relief. She heard about the move Trump Card but didn't think Rose knew it. With their confidence restored, Rose and Alex stood against Venusaur, awaiting their trainers' orders.

"Rose, use Trump Card!"

"Alex, use Psychic with Rose's Trump Card!"

Alex's eyes glowed blue as he lifted himself and Rose into the air. Six ragged red plates formed a circle around Rose. Using Psychic, Alex took the red plates and threw them at Venusaur. Their opponent didn't even have a chance to scream as the psychic-infused plates hit him. A mighty explosion shook the earth in a dust cloud. When the dust cleared, Venusaur laid on the ground, knocked out cold and unable to battle.

"NOO!" screamed the bandit leader.

Cinderella's forest and barn friends all cheered from afar. Philip and his mentor drew their swords. Valiant, Lester, Rex, and Grovyle ran forward with rope and chains and quickly bound the two bandits.

"You won't be going anywhere," said Philip.

Outnumbered and defeated, the bandits surrendered. Mikey went over to the carriage and quickly freed Cinderella's stepfamily and their Pokémon from their bounds.

"We're saved!" cheered Berry and Patricia's Pokémon.

"Good," said the stepmother, "Now that those scoundrels have been taken care of… GET BACK TO WORK, YOU FILTHY WRETCH!"

Philip's mentor turned towards the stepmother with a dangerous look in his eyes.

"Silence!" he shouted, "You will not speak to her like that!"

"How dare you talk to me that way, you filthy commoner!" shouted the stepmother, "I'd ought to throw you out to the Pyroar!"

The man frowned. "You are also being rude and disrespectful towards me after I helped saved your lives. You should be grateful to your stepdaughter for saving you and your Pokémon."

"You're quite a character, you pathetic Grimpig." Patricia said rudely, "Talking like you're the Archduke."

"Oh, really?" said Philip's mentor, "Well, that's because…"

He flashed the chest on his sword's scabbard.

"…I _am_ the Archduke!"

"And I am Duke Grovyle of the Order of the Aurum!" added Grovyle

Cinderella and her Pokémon were too stunned at first to piece together what the man and Grovyle had said. This was Philip's mentor? Philip must have been a very important person to have the Archduke as his mentor. Archdukes usually mentored those of royalty and high social status. They should have figured that out with the royal crest on his belongings.

The Order of the Aurum was a group of nearly 200 Pokémon whose trainers were members of the royal court. Valiant and all of Cinderella's Pokémon beside Rose were members. Rose hadn't been recognized by the court yet and was considered a lady until then.

The bandits were shocked by who this man really was, but not as much as Patricia and her mother. The two women turned pale when they recognized the royal crest on the scabbard and started to tremble in fear. They quickly bowed humbly towards the Archduke and Grovyle.

"We're sorry, your grace!" cried the stepmother, "We didn't know it was you! Please forgive us!"

The Archduke scowled at her. "Why should I? I was the cloaked man with the injured apprentice who asked for help. Not only did you refuse, you insulted us and left my apprentice's Pokémon to die despite your younger daughter's pleas."

"That's right," said Grovyle, "And meanwhile, your stepdaughter was the only one with a heart to help us. She healed us and protected us from our attackers. She also did the same for you, you ungrateful Ekans."

The Archduke continued. "And regardless of who I am, you should mind your manners and show more respect towards all people and Pokémon, noble or commoner. What would the King and Queen say when we report your actions to them?"

The very idea of being reported to the king and queen scared the stepmother even more.

"No!" she cried, "Please wait, I-!"

She stammered her words and didn't finish the sentence. She whimpered as the Archduke approached her, his hand still on the sword hilt.

"Then you will stop treating Duchess Ella like that." said the Archduke, "Or else the court and your husband are going to hear from me."

"Wait, how do you know about Ella?" asked Sabrina.

"Will you be quiet?" hissed her mother under her breath, but Grovyle and the Archduke heard her. The Archduke drew his sword out halfway again. The stepmother saw the blade and let out a yelp.

"Yes, yes, I promise!" she squealed, "Cross my heart!"

"Good," said the Archduke, "If I delay any of Ella's work, I will take the fall. You may take your leave. And don't get any ideas, because I will be watching you from here on out."

The Stepmother and Patricia blankly nodded and got back into their carriage. They headed on their way back to town. As soon as the carriage was gone, the Archduke looked back at Philip and Cinderella.

"You're really the Archduke?" said Cinderella, "Why didn't you tell us who you are, your grace?"

"And how did you know who Ella really was?" asked Valiant.

"I know a lot of things." said the Archduke, "My reasons for concealing my identity are my own. For now, my apprentice and I have to escort these fools the palace to receive their punishment."

Cinderella could hear the bandit leader muttering angrily to himself. Grovyle started to drag Venusaur and Houdoom away, but Cinderella heard their cries.

"Wait, Grovyle! These two Pokémon didn't mean any harm," said Cinderella.

"These Pokémon attacked you and tried to steal your Pokémon." said Grovyle, "Our apprentice's Pokémon nearly had early funerals."

Houndoom stared sadly at his feet. "But we were forced to attack you or else we would have been whipped by those men. It was a cowardly and dishonorable thing to do."

"It's alright, Houndoom," said Cinderella, "You don't have worry about men anymore. I forgive you and Venusaur for hurting us."

"Ella, you understand these Pokémon?" said Philip, surprised.

"Of course, Philip," said Cinderella, "I can talk to Pokémon. It's something my dear mother taught me when I was little."

Venusaur lifted his head a little. "Veeenusauuur…"

Cinderella translated, "Venusaur's saying that he and Houndoom sorry that they hurt you. These men aren't even their real trainers. They were taken from Baron Goodland two weeks ago and just want to go home."

"Baron, you say?" said Grovyle, "Wait a moment."

Grovyle took a rag from Cinderella and walked over to the two Pokémon. He rubbed the rag on their right shoulders until a branded shield with a "G" came into view.

"The Goodland crest is branded on their shoulders, my lord." said Grovyle, "These are Baron Goodland's Pokémon."

"So these Pokémon were stolen." said the Archduke, "We'll have a Pokémon nurse check them over before they are returned to their trainer."

Cinderella petted Venusaur and Houndoom. "You're both free, Venusaur and Houndoom."

The two Pokémon smiled and nuzzled Cinderella in a sign of thanks.

"You're most welcome," said Cinderella.

With the bandits tied up and the Pokémon freed, Philip mounted Lacy and he and the Archduke said their goodbyes to Cinderella and her friends and left the chateau. Cinderella and her Pokémon went back into the house to continue their lessons.

When they passed over the bridge in the forest, the bandit leader suddenly asked, "Wait a minute, if you're the Archduke, then who's that other guy?"

Philip stopped Lucy to answer. "Philip."

"Philip?" The bandit leader's eyes widened. "Wait, as in Prince Philip, the crowned prince?"

Philip nodded. "Yes, I'm the crowned prince. Prince Philip."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Just then, the bandit leader turned on his smaller partner, seething with rage.

"This was your dumb idea!" he shouted.

"No, this was your dumb idea!" retorted his partner.

The two continued to argue loudly as they continued their walk to the palace. Philip was glad that Cinderella and her family didn't know who he was.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been two days and it was the day of the Perfect Princess contest. That morning had been pretty busy as everyone in the chateau got ready. Cinderella helped Patricia get dressed, groomed her Pokémon, packed her stuff, and fixed her stepfamily a nice lunch for the road. She wished Patricia luck as her stepfamily got into a carriage to take them into to the contest.

As soon as they left, Cinderella was already in her room, being cleaned of her ashes and dressed by her Pokémon friends. She was wearing a lovely pastel pink dress of lace which had been modified from one of her mother's old dresses. Rose wore a gold pendant with a pink ribbon to match Cinderella's dress. It was the same pendant Rose's mother had been wearing the day she died.

Cinderella looked herself over in the mirror and twirled for her Pokémon friends. They all smiled at how beautiful she looked. Over her eyes, she put on a beautiful golden mask adorned with diamonds, which also belonged to her mother.

"You and Rose look beautiful, Cinderella!" said Lil.

"Just like princesses!" said Sparkle.

"Thank you, our friends," said Cinderella.

"I can't even recognize her with the mask on." said one of the Vivillon, "It's like she's a completely different person."

"We must think of a new name for you," said Patch.

Cinderella smiled. "We'll worry about that later."

Valiant came into the attic with Ariel, Mikey, Rex, and Bella. Ariel and Bella had two trunks with all of Cinderella's outfits and their gear for the contest. They thought of every performance possibility they could think of. All her Pokémon had been washed up and groomed, ridding them of their cinders and barn Pokémon looks. They were all wearing a blue riband sashes, though Valiant wore a star and badge with his. As members of the Order of the Aurum, all Pokémon were required to wear traditional ribands at public and formal events even while battling.

Cinderella smiled at her Pokémon.

"Is everyone ready to go?" she asked.

"I'm ready," said Rose, beaming.

"We are all ready." said Valiant, "Let us go now."

"Good luck!" cheered all of Cinderella's friends.

They waved goodbye as Ariel used Teleport to carry them away from their home and just outside the palace where the contest was being held. There was already a line of ten ladies waiting to be registered. They were about to get in the back when a voice shouted out.

"My lady! Over here!"

Cinderella jumped. That was a Pokémon speaking to her as the other people didn't notice. She saw an Ivysaur dashing towards her and her Pokémon. Cinderella knew who he was. He was a Pokémon belonging to one of her best friends. She knelt down and petted his head, smiling.

"Hello, Peter!" Cinderella said, "How have you been doing?"

"Just evolved two weeks ago, but I'm still the same old me." he said, "Bianca and Katelyn had been saving your spot for you in the front. Follow me."

Cinderella smiled as she and her Pokémon followed Peter to the front of the line. All the girls and Pokémon nearby watched Cinderella in amazement, fascinated by her beauty. She saw her two best friends at the front of the line, Katelyn and Peter's trainer, Bianca. With them was Katelyn's Combusken, Anna and the rest of their Pokémon.

"Who are you?" asked Katelyn.

"Girls, it's me," said Cinderella.

"Be careful," Valiant warned. "No one must know that this masked maiden is really Duchess Ella Livingston."

Bianca smiled. "It's you! It's been forever since we've seen each other!"

"Where have you all been?" asked Katelyn.

Cinderella and Valiant told them everything that had happened since Cinderella's father left.

"I knew it!" said Katelyn, "I knew those two were lying when they said you left with your father."

"That's why I'm wearing the mask." said Cinderella, "So Patricia and Stepmother don't recognize me."

"It worked on us." said Katelyn, "I couldn't tell who you were if I didn't know it was you."

"You should meet my newest Pokémon." said Cinderella, "Her name is Rose. She's an Eevee."

Katelyn and Bianca looked and Rose and smiled. Rose blushed and shied away. She wasn't quite used to so much attention.

"What's wrong with Rose?" asked Katelyn.

"This is her first time in the contest." said Cinderella, "She's just a little nervous."

As Cinderella and her friends got registered and caught up on lost time, the Pokémon began to talk among themselves. The conversions went on as they waited for the registration to be completed. Eventually, they got to the subject of Rose's origins.

"Where did you come from, Rose?" asked Peter.

"Cinderella found me and my mama in the woods when I was a baby." said Rose, "I don't remember my mama, but I know she was a Flareon. She was wearing this pendant when Cinderella found me."

Peter took a good look at the pendant. He noticed the engravement on the front. "Ruby?"

"Yes, that's my mother's name," said Rose.

"Her mother couldn't have been a wild Pokémon." said Peter, "That pendant looks like something only a person of exceptional wealth could afford."

"Do you think her mother lost her trainer?" asked Anna.

"We don't know much about Rose's mother." said Valiant, "She was plagued by an illness and died soon after."

Sympathy overcame the other Pokémon.

"Our sympathies," said Anna.

Just then they heard an angry woman shouting, "Out of my way, you fool!"

The Pokémon looked to see Cinderella's stepfamily exiting their carriage. They had just arrived barely in time. Several footmen were sent to carry Patricia's mountain of luggage. The stepmother was yelling at everyone and barking orders. Patricia was busy straightening her dress to look presentable with her Pokémon following close to her. They were dressed as obnoxious as her and embarrassed at the stares they were getting.

Cinderella's heart leaped. This was the moment. She hoped that her stepfamily wouldn't recognize her or else who knew what would happen. The stepfamily moved quickly to the registry. When they saw Cinderella the three stared, surprised.

"Who are you?" asked Patricia.

"I've never seen you before." said the stepmother.

Cinderella felt relieved. Her stepmother and Patricia didn't recognize her after all.

"She is a duchess whom you shall know only as the Masked Maiden," said Valiant.

Patricia yelped in surprise. "D-did you just talk to me?"

"It is not uncommon for Pokémon of the Order of the Aurum to speak the tongue of humans." said Valiant, "Surely, you know this very well."

"How do we know that she's a true duchess?" said the Stepmother, suspicious, "How do I know she's not an impostor?"

"Are you questioning my mistress's title?" Valiant countered sternly, "Because you see her as a competitional threat to your daughter?"

The stepmother flinched.

"We know her, my lady." said Katelyn, "She's a duchess."

"You should hurry." said Cinderella, "You have less than a minute left to get registered."

With that, Patricia and her mother ran for the registry with Patricia's Pokémon, all panicked. The footmen and their Pokémon followed them, carrying the boxes of her stuff. Sabrina smiled at Cinderella.

"Ella? Is that you?" she whispered.

Cinderella shushed her. "Be careful, someone might hear us."

"How did you get here so fast?" asked Sabrina.

"We teleported," said Cinderella.

"We barely got here in time." said Sabrina, "We had to wait for someone to move a sleeping Snorlax off the road. Again."

"That's why we came early." said Valiant, "There's nothing convenient about taking the carriage."

"I almost didn't recognize you with the mask on." Sabrina admitted, "You look beautiful."

Cinderella smiled. "Thank you."

Just then, a man in a suit came through the palace doors. "Alright, everyone, we are ready to begin the contest! All audience members follow the guards and all contestants and their Pokémon please come with me."

"Oh, it's time!" said Cinderella, "I'll talk with you later."

"Good luck," said Sabrina as she ran for her mother.

Cinderella, Patricia, Katelyn, and Bianca followed the man into the palace with their Pokémon and the other girls. The entrance hall was grand. It was made of white marble and covered with gilded embellishments. Red carpets lead up a series of stairs that lead into different hallways and rooms. Black marble and gilded columns supported the ceiling with white Pokémon statues. The while room was light up by gilded lamps and a grand gilded and crystal chandelier.

The girls followed looking around the room, impressed. Cinderella had been here before and knew of the palace's great wonders. She even once accompanied the queen herself. Rose looked around in awe and delight. She had never been in the palace before.

"It's more beautiful than I thought," she whispered.

The guards and royal Pokéguard stood all around, still as stone and constantly vigilant. They watched as the girls and their Pokémon walked by, but their eyes followed Cinderella the whole way, fascinated by her beauty.

The audience walked up the grand entrance stairway while the man guiding the contestants stopped and turned to face them. All the girls and their Pokémon looked up as the man spoke with a smile.

"Hello and welcome to this year's Perfect Princess contest. I will be your host for today. For those who don't know, the contest is a performance where many young ladies and their Pokémon perform before the royal court in a show of beauty, etiquette, and skill. You will be judged by a series of judges as well as their royal highnesses, the king and queen, and the Archduke."

Cinderella and her Pokémon looked up in surprise. They hoped the Archduke wouldn't recognize them.

The host continued. "There shall be five rounds today. Each of them will be different and have different rules. Contestants and their Pokémon will be eliminated or move on based on their performance. In the end, only five contestants and their Pokémon will remain to perform the final round where the winner will be chosen. In the end, the young lady who does their best shall be declared the winner. They will be rewarded with 10,000 Poké and a luncheon with one of the members of the royal court. Any questions before we start?"

"I have one question, sir." said a girl in a yellow dress, "Who is this person the winner will meet?"

"Well, that's the surprise, isn't it?" said the host, "He personally requested that I keep his identity a secret to all but the winner."

Several girls were surprised by this. Cinderella noticed that Patricia was beaming brightly. She seemed fully confident that she would win today. Cinderella didn't worry about her stepsister. She knew what she had to do. Rose looked up at her, a look of nervousness on her face. Cinderella just smiled at her. Valiant also saw her and knelt to hold her shoulder assuring.

"It's alright, my lady." he whispered, "We're here for you."

Rose calmed down a bit. The host looked around.

"Any more questions?" he asked, "No? Alright, then, it is time for the first round, ladies. It is a tea party for both you and your Pokémon."

Patricia and several of the other girls got excited. This was something they were looking forward to.

"This will test etiquette and obedience, meaning how well your Pokémon can follow your instructions. You will be judged on how well your Pokémon execute your commands, etiquette and manners, and grooming and appearance. First, you will have twenty minutes to get dressed and groom your Pokémon. Then you and your Pokémon will walk around the table in front of the judges. This will allow them to make their grooming and dressing assessment and see your Pokémon execute the command 'heel'. The top fifteen ladies with the best performances will go to the next round. Head into the dressing room, ladies, and we'll see you when you come out."

The girls all walked down the halls to the wing where the spare ladies' rooms where. Cinderella walked to her assigned room, the second room at the end hall on the left-hand side. Her Pokémon followed close behind with Valiant acting as her escort. A footman was already there with her luggage of clothes.

Just as she was about to enter her room, Rex let out a warning chuff.

"She's here!"

Cinderella spun around to see Patricia standing in the middle of the hallway, giving Cinderella and her Pokémon and annoyed look. Her Pokémon were standing behind her along with several footmen carrying her massive luggage of clothes. It almost seemed like she was moving in.

"Do you mind?" Patricia said rudely, "You're in my way."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Cinderella.

She quickly moved aside and asked for her Pokémon to do the same thing. Patricia moved indignantly past Cinderella and into the end room on the right-hand side across from Cinderella. Her Pokémon and the footmen followed her inside.

Leaving her stepsister to her own business, Cinderella and her Pokémon entered their dressing room. Four maids were already waiting with two Lopunny and two Espeon.

"Good day to you, my lady." said one of the maids, "I will be your lady-in-waiting for today and we will be serving and tend to whatever you and your Pokémon need."

"Thank you." said Cinderella, "All my clothes are in my trunk and may need to be ironed again. My Pokémon's things are already separated from mine. Please take care of them. They were my mother's and mean so much to me."

"Of course, my lady." said the first maid, "How may we address you?"

"Just 'My lady' will be fine," said Cinderella, smiling.

With that, the maids got to work.

It took Cinderella and her Pokémon only ten minutes to get ready. She wore a simple blue dress with a matching hair bow and all her Pokémon were groomed with their ribands removed. Rose was given the same blue bow on her neck to replace the pink ribbon and Ariel and Bella had hair bows the same as Cinderella.

With dressing and grooming done, Cinderella and her friends went out to wait in line. Their number was one. Patricia wore her obnoxious green and pink dress with white gloves, a pearl necklace, and a large hat. Emerald was dressed in a matching suit, Buttons was given a Debutante clip, and the rest of Patricia's Pokémon wore matching dresses and accessories. Valiant shook his head. They were supposed to be groomed, not dressed up.

"The first contestant please walk out." the host called.

The host led the contestants and their Pokémon down the hall. They soon came into the grand dining room. There five small round tables that people sat at with white linen tablecloths, silver candelabras, and flowers. There were fifteen smaller tables where Pokémon sat at. Both places were all set up for a tea party with silver tea trays, China, and gold silverware. At a long table were twenty judges along with the King, the Queen, and the Archduke as the main judges. The girls and their Pokémon wondered what this next round was going to be.

Cinderella walked through the curtain with her Pokémon. She smiled as she daintily walked around the tables in front of the judges with Valiant escorting her. Rose, Ariel, Mikey, Rex, and Bella walked with her, smiling. They kept their heads and posture straight and made it around the tables without falling. The King, Queen, and Archduke smiled along with the rest of the judges. Cinderella took her spot at her assigned table. Her Pokémon went to their assigned table and took their spots as well.

Bianca came next. Her dress was lavender and pink. Besides Peter, she had her Azumarril, Splash, her Furret, Fuzz, and her two Skitty, Poppy and Daisy. She and her Pokémon walked around the table and to their seats. Patricia came out next with her Pokémon. The judges all stared awkwardly at her and her Pokémon's clothes. Some shook their heads, frowning. It was hard for Buttons and Blair to walk in their dresses. Patricia smiled to herself as she walked to her chair. Katelyn and Anna went next with her Ponyta, Flash, her Vivillon, Pinky, her Plusle, Cherry, and her Minun, Sky. The judges were more approved of her Pokémon's grooming and Katelyn's red dress and hat.

One-by-one, the rest of the contestants and their Pokémon walked before the judges. Some were good and some had issues, but overall, it was pretty good. Patricia smiled to herself, believing the judges adored her Pokémon's clothing.

With everyone seated, the host sat at the end of the table and spoke again.

"Well done, ladies, now you and your Pokémon will be served tea. This will allow the judges to assess your etiquette and manners as well as your Pokémon's. Staff, please serve our guests."

A group of servants and their Pokémon came out with curates and platers of goods. Cinderella made out fruit, tea sandwiches, bread, scones, sorbet, cake, cookies, and various tarts. There were also platers with butter, various jams, and marmalade. They brought the goods to the girls' tables, but not the Pokémon's. Then the cups, plates, silverware, and napkins were set out.

The servants and their Pokémon began to serve the tea. Cinderella politely asked for light tea with cream and two lumps of sugar. Cinderella had excellent manners. She placed her napkin on her lap, took small bites and sips, kept her mouth closed while chewing, said "please" and "thank you", and spoke with the other girls in a light and cheerful manner. Her Pokémon's manners were also the same. Patricia opened her mouth once while chewing and ate a little too fast.

After ten minutes, the host spoke up. "Excellent, ladies, we will now have a test to see how well your Pokémon can execute the command 'leave it'. They are about to tempted with their favorite treats. You must command them to leave them alone for a minute. Ladies, please go your Pokémons' table."

The contestants did as they were told. Cinderella stood in front of the table where her Pokémon where, still smiling.

"Waiters, please serve our guests." said the host.

The Purrloin, Wobbuffet, and Sneasel waiters came forward with platters covered in lids. They set them down in the middle of the small tables. Many Pokémon could smell the goodies under them. The Pokémon waiters took hold of the handles, waiting to take the lids off.

The host spoke again. "And you may remove the lids… now."

At once, the lids were removed, showing an array of Pokémon treats. There were cakes, fruit, tea sandwiches, and small tarts. Rose, Mikey, Ariel, Bella, and Rex smelled the goodies on the table, which Valiant left alone like the wise and disciplined duke he was.

"Wait." said Cinderella gently, "Leave them."

Ariel, Bella, and Rose did as they were asked. Rex and Mikey were almost tempted, but they managed to control their impulse to eat. Valiant nodded in approval. Cinderella rewarded them with a smile, making them smile back.

"Yes, that's it." she said, "You're all being very good."

With Patricia, her Pokémon were getting ready to try the treats. However, Patricia pointed a finger at them and said sharply, "No. Leave it."

Blair, Emerald, Buttons, Gloria, Jewel, and Princess were startled, but they did as they were told. Peter, Anna, and their parties also obeyed their trainer's commands. Other Pokémon tried to sniff the food. Some were almost tempted but resisted the urge to eat. A Munchlax couldn't hold back its ravenous appetite and took a bite at the last second.

"Time." said the host, "Nicely done. Let us finish our tea."

With that, the contestants all went back to their chairs and continued their tea and chats. The Pokémon were also allowed to eat. Throughout the rest of the tea party, Cinderella and her Pokémon continued to display good manners and etiquette. After tea was done and the dishes were cleared, the host spoke again.

"Now for your final task, we'll be evaluating the commands 'sit' and 'stay'. Your Pokémon will be sitting on a pedestal in a 'sit-stay' and I want each of you to take a position behind your chair."

Cinderella got up from her chair. "Everyone, sit. Stay."

Rose, Valiant, Ariel, Mikey, Rex, and Bella all went to their pedestal and sat down. Cinderella smiled and praised them. Patricia ordered her Pokémon to do the same thing, using hand signals. The contestants all got up and stood behind their chairs as instructed.

"Now I want you to all walk completely around the room ending in your exact marks."

One by one, in single file, the contestants walked around the room. Cinderella knew her Pokémon would stay and smiled as she walked around the table. Patricia constantly told her Pokémon to stay with verbal commands and hand signals. Some Pokémon moved slightly and some wanted to get off the pedestal. Cinderella's Pokémon smiled as she and everyone managed to make it back without any Pokémon getting of the pedestals.

"Nicely done everyone." said the host. "The round is done."

The Pokémon were allowed to get off the pedestals and return to their trainer's side. Cinderella praised her Pokémon and they smiled back. Patricia smiled to herself. It only took the judges a few minutes to debate. They talked with each contestant, pointing all the good things and issues. After a while, they came to Cinderella.

The King spoke first. "My lady, you and your Pokémon have the best manners we have ever seen. It's almost like you're a princess. I was very surprised by the etiquette of your Pokémon, especially from your Charizard and Absol. It's something we don't see very often."

The Archduke spoke next. "I love how gentle and kind you were to your Pokémon, my lady. You talk to your Pokémon, you praised and smiled at them, you got them very animated and they responded well to your commands. This is the best obedience I have ever seen and it was perfect."

The Queen came next. "I love how beautiful you and your Pokémon look. I love how you kept it simple and I love your Pokémon's ribbons. Of all the contestants, your show was perfect. You will move to the next round without question."

Cinderella smiled and curtsied. "Thank you, your majesties. Your grace."

Patricia was last and was smiling expectantly. However, the King, Queen, and Archduke had mixed expressions.

"Miss Patricia Livingston," said the King, "You and your Pokémon have good manners and etiquette and I like your Furfrou's clip, but I'm not a big fan of putting clothes on Pokémon. It kept me from evaluating their grooming."

Patricia frowned.

"You had good obedience with your Pokémon," said the Archduke, "But I think you were relying a little too much on hand signals. That was very distracting to the judges. You also sounded stiff and demanding. I just think you need to relax and lighten up a bit, it was a little rigid. I also didn't like the clothes you put on your Pokémon. In fact, the clothing made it more difficult for your Braixen and Furfrou to walk during the heel."

"I love your Furfrou's clip," said the Queen, "But I agree that dressing your Pokémon in full clothing was inappropriate and it kept us from judging their grooming. Also, why are you wearing that dress and giant hat for a tea party? They look ridiculous on you. I just think you would make a better impression if you wore something simple with pastel colors and just put collars or a ribbon on your Pokémon."

Patricia looked like she had been insulted. She didn't say anything.

"Besides that, your performance was okay and we decided to give you another chance in the next round." said the Queen.

Patricia breathed a sigh of relief. Her Pokémon looked a little worried, though. They knew Patricia was going to have a fit afterward and they would be caught in the middle. Cinderella felt sorry for them, but she couldn't help them right now. Not when they had two more rounds to go.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sure enough, soon after the remaining girls went back to their rooms to change, Patricia threw a fit. Cinderella and her Pokémon could hear her screams across the hall from their room. She could make out things like "Who do they think they are?" and "How dare they talk that way about my dresses!". They also heard her rudely barking orders at her footmen and maids.

"Patricia doesn't sound very happy," Rose whispered.

"I just hope she stops." moaned Mikey, "I don't know how much longer I can take it."

Cinderella was still smiling. "Don't worry, she'll calm down. She always does."

"What, my lady?" asked Cinderella's Lady-in-Waiting.

"Oh, sorry, I was talking to my Pokémon." said Cinderella, "What do you recommend I wear next?"

"Well, I believe there's an obstacle course outside or something." the lady-in-waiting replied, "There's no riding required, though."

"I think the clothes we first wore will do then," said Cinderella.

After getting dressed back in their normal clothes (and Patricia's Pokémon got out of theirs), the girls were lead outside to find what looked like a Pokémon steeplechase course made with ropes, netting, and wood. There was a large platform at the starting line with fifteen colored stands.

The first part was a hurdle course followed by a series of balance beams and a netted crawl-through. The second part was a climbing wall leading up to a platform with a circular wooden step walkway, double rope swings, tightrope bridges, and plank bridges with swinging planks. The last part was a flying area over a body of water. At the end of all nine obstacles were with fifteen scrolls with different colored ribbons.

Cinderella and the others looked at the course, fascinated. She knew one of the rounds was a Pokémon obstacle course with a twist. Patricia didn't give it one more thought about it as she waited for instructions from the host. He led them up onto a platform connected to the course. It had fifteen different tables with ink and parchment underneath.

"Welcome to the second round of this contest, ladies." said the host. "This round will be a Pokémon Steeplechase with a pop quiz."

Many of the girls were surprised. Patricia was also surprised.

"The winner of the contest mustn't only be beautiful." explained the host, "She must also be intelligent and have a great bond with her Pokémon, too. At each of the sections of the course is a scroll containing the quiz questions. There are ten scrolls in all. You will be the one answering the questions, but it is your Pokémon who must collect your scrolls for you. Three of your Pokémon will race around the course to each station, collecting your scrolls as they go. In the water and sky course is an underwater key that will help you unlock your last scroll waiting in a box at your stand. Once you're finished the course and the questions, you can ring the bell. Your score will be based on how many questions you answer correctly and how fast your Pokémon finish the course. The ten ladies with the best scores move on to the second round. Any questions?"

Patricia's faced dropped. She had no idea that the contest would require her Pokémon to be running or doing a puzzle or quiz. She wasn't the only one. Two other rich girls were also looking worried, but no one complained or asked questions.

"Very well," said the host, "We'll draw for spots and get started."

All the contestants drew for colored stones from inside a velvet pouch. Cinderella got blue, Katelyn got red, Bianca got green, and Patricia got purple. The contestants then chose which Pokémon to go out on the course and wrapped a sash of the same color on them. Cinderella chose Valiant, Mikey, and Rex under the names of Lucario, Absol, and Charizard. Katelyn chose Anna, Flash, and Pinky, Bianca chose Peter, Fuzz, and Splash, and Patricia chose Blair, Buttons, and Princess.

The girls all went to their pedestal stands while their Pokémon moved onto the course with the starting Pokémon holding satchels of their team's color. Mikey was up first with Buttons, Flash, and Fuzz. All fifteen Pokémon waited at their starting line. The audience and supporters all watched on the nearby terrace.

"Pokémon ready!" called the host. "You shall start at the sound of the gong in five, four, three, two, one…"

A Rapidash kicked and rang a gong with its hind legs on "go" and Pokémon raced off. The first obstacle was a series of twelve hurdles, starting at six inches and ending at six feet. Mikey flew over the hurdles like lightning, grabbing Cinderella's first scroll at the end. He quickly moved onto a ramp and quickly made it across the balance beams. He made it easy as he took the next scroll. He glided down another ramp towards a netted crawl-though. It was a little hard keeping his horn from getting caught in the netting, but he managed to move quickly and retrieve the scroll.

Flash and Fuzz were slower than Mikey, but they managed to collect their trainer's scrolls and make it through the courses. Buttons had trouble throughout her run. She couldn't jump over any hurdles over four feet, she fell off her balance beam two times, and her jeweled collar got snagged in the netting at the crawl-through.

While Buttons struggled, Mikey moved to the next section and gave the scrolls to Valiant, signaling him to move on. The next course was a tall platform with a vertical climbing wall, which Valiant scaled effortlessly. He got to the top and grabbed the fourth scroll before running across the wooden step walkway. He swung across the double rope swing like a Mankey, grabbing another scroll. After that, he ran over the tightrope bridge without falling or using his paws. He was slower and patiently took his time on the swinging plank bridge.

All the girls watched Valiant in amazement. They had never seen a Pokémon move so swift, sure, and nimble.

Valiant made it to the end of his section and handed off the scrolls to Rex. The Charizard spread his wings and flew the last and longest part of the course; the sky and water course. He flew over the water and dodged wooden pillars and obstacles as several bird and water Pokémon tried to hit him with attacks. Rex collected all Cinderella's remaining scrolls hanging on ropes and stuck his head underwater to retrieve the key.

While everyone else was halfway through the course, Rex made it to the end and gave Cinderella the scrolls and key. She quickly unlocked the chest that had her final scroll. At once, she opened the first scroll and began to work on the quiz. She read the questions.

 _What Pokémon has been in charge of protecting the kings of Kalos for centuries?_

 _Eevee has many evolved forms. Name its Fairy-type evolution._

 _Altaria as two types. One is Flying and the other is… what?_

 _What berry cures a paralyzed Pokémon?_

 _True or False: Male and female Torchic and their evolved forms look alike._

Cinderella wrote her answers down and covered them so no one could copy off her. She knew the first four answers were Furfrou, Sylveon, Dragon, and Cherri Berry and the fifth question was false.

As Cinderella worked on her questions, everyone else was only halfway done on the course. Peter, Anna, and Blair took their time climbing up and crossing the rope course. Peter had some trouble on the climbing wall and rope swing but made it through with Bianca's scrolls. Anna was faster but not as fast as Valiant. Blair has as much trouble as Buttons as she fell all the obstacles once except the tightrope bridge.

Splash and Pinky both took off as soon as Anna and Peter handed off their satchels. The two moved well on the course but were slowed down by the barrage of Pokémon attacks. When they were halfway through, Blair finished and Princess took off with the scrolls. She made up a lot of time as she collected Patricia's key and the last of her scrolls.

Pinky returned first with Katelyn's scrolls and key. She got her last scroll and also began to work on the quiz. Both Princess and Splash return with their trainer's scrolls and keys. Bianca worked on her questions as soon as she got her last scroll. Patricia snatched hers away from Princess and unlocked her final scroll as she started the quiz. As Patricia worked fiercely and others started to panic, Cinderella, Katelyn, and Bianca were patient and took their time.

Cinderella had a several minute head start thanks to Valiant's, Mikey's, and Rex's training and skills. She soon answered all of her fifty questions and rolled up the scrolls to keep others from seeing her answers.

There was also a bonus question which read: _How many wooden planks are there on the course?_

Cinderella swallowed. This question was very difficult. There was no way she could leave her stand to count all the planks. Getting an idea, Cinderella gestured the host over and whispered a question to him.

"That's just fine, my lady," he said, smiling.

Now Cinderella urged Valiant, Rex, and Mikey over and whispered to them in a tight circle. Valiant nodded in understanding and he, Mikey, and Rex hurried back onto the course. They looked around the place and pointed at things. Patricia saw this and was confused.

"What are those Pokémon doing?" she asked herself.

After looking around the course for a minute, Valiant, Mikey, and Rex huddled together for a moment, then Valiant returned to Cinderella and whispered into her ear. Cinderella wrote down her answer to the bonus question. She rang a bell to signal to the host that she was done, the first one. Patricia glared at Cinderella. After ten minutes, Bianca finished second and Katelyn finished later in third. Twenty minutes later, all the girls had finished answering their questions. Patricia was the seventh to finish.

The host and judges went to each girl and began to read everyone's answers. Some were pleased and some were disappointed. They gave Patricia, Katelyn, and Bianca each an approving nod. Cinderella was the last to be judged. When they saw her answers, the judges' and host's faces lit with surprise and delight. After that, they placed a small pouch in front of each girl. The host spoke up.

"In the pouches we gave you is a gem." he said, "If it's a diamond, you won the course, if it's an emerald, you move on, but if it's a ruby, you don't move on. Everyone reveal."

The girls all reached in and removed a gem from her pouch. Cinderella gasped and smiled as she held a perfect diamond in her hand. Katelyn and Bianca both got an emerald. Patricia scowled at first, but she smiled when she found an emerald in her pouch.

"You and your Pokémon all performed well." said the host, "Only one of you answered every question correctly including our bonus question. It was the Masked Maiden with fifty-two planks."

The girls all applauded except Patricia. She had missed five questions. Cinderella and Valiant smiled at each other. Katelyn, Bianca, and their Pokémon went over to Cinderella, smiling.

"Congratulations!" said Katelyn, "We're all moving on!"

"I know!" said Cinderella, "I can hardly believe it myself!"

"How did you know how many planks were on the course?" asked Bianca.

"I had my Pokémon go out and count them for me." said Cinderella, "I asked the host if they could do that and he said it was okay."

"That was clever," said Peter half to himself.

"I'm looking forward to whatever's next," said Cinderella.

After the five losing girls left, the remaining ten contestants were lead back into the palace and down to the royal kitchen. There were ten tables with cooking books, bowls, cups, and various baking ingredients. A giant oven stood by, already heated and burning. Patricia was surprised that they would come here.

"This is the third round, ladies." said the host, "This time you and your Pokémon will work together to bake Poké Puffs in the royal kitchen."

Patricia was appalled by this. She had never learned to cook before. She couldn't even boil water. Cinderella, Katelyn, Bianca, and the lower-class girls, on the other hand, were a little more comfortable. Having to cook and bake everything at home, Cinderella perfected everything in her cooking. Katelyn and Bianca baked as a hobby in their spare time.

"This is a new challenge requested by the prince as he and his Pokémon do this all the time." said the host.

This surprised many of the girls, including Cinderella. She had never heard of a prince who liked to bake before.

"You and your Pokémon will have only an hour to make a batch of Poké Puffs for the judges. You will be judged on taste, decoration and plating design, and the teamwork between you and your Pokémon. The top five ladies who do their best will move on to the final round. Those who fail to finish baking within the time limit will be out of the contest. We'll give you a minute to get set up at your tables and we'll get started."

Cinderella and her Pokémon quickly got to their table, put on aprons, and got out the ingredients and supplies they needed. They knew how to make fourteen different flavors and knew the recipes by heart. Patricia didn't know what to do and jittered at her table.

The Host spoke up. "Let the Poké Puff making… Begin!"

At once, the girls went to work. Rex and Mikey checked the temperature of their part of the oven and slightly heated it. Cinderella, Valiant, Rose, Bella, and Ariel measured ingredients and mixed them together, working with quick, but steady hands. Cinderella and Bella made the Poké Puff batter, Ariel and Rose made some macaron batter, and Valiant and Rex melted and tempered some chocolate.

The Poké Puff batter was poured into molds and the macaron batter was piped onto a pan. Ariel levitated both batters into the oven. Rex watched the baking while Cinderella worked with Rose, Bella, and Ariel to finish making the various icings and frostings. Valiant spread thin sheets of the tempered chocolate on a marble board and divided it into squares. Mikey used his Ice Beam to cool and harden the sheet. Valiant and Mikey then separated the chocolate squares.

Patricia was very fast and sloppy. She and her Pokémon read in a cookbook and mixed ingredients, but she didn't understand some words and mixed up the sugar and the salt. Patricia put her Poké Puffs into the oven but lost track of time while making the frosting. Her Poké Puffs came out burnt and stuck in the pan because she didn't line the molds with butter.

Meanwhile, Cinderella's Poké Puffs and macarons were done baking and out of the oven. Rex gently fanned with his wings as he cooled off the baked goods. Once cooled, Ariel levitated the Poké Puffs out of the molds with Psychic and used Mikey's horn to poke holes in the top of each one. She also took the macarons and piped a Pecha berry frosting on them before sandwiching two halves together. Rose helped Cinderella fill the Poké Puffs with the same Pecha berry frosting.

Then came the decorating. Bella iced the tops with chocolate ganache with a lattice of white icing. Cinderella then piped on meringue rims which Rex flambéed with his tail flame. Ariel piped on a large peak of Pecha berry frosting on top and Valiant finished them off a square of marbled chocolate and a macaron in the center of the frosting. After a quick taste test from her Pokémon, Cinderella set out a silver platter and placed her finished Poké Puffs on it.

Cinderella was done with only five minutes left on the clock. Patricia finished her Poké Puffs at the last second. One of the girls was unable to finish in time. With the baking done, Pokémon servants placed the platters on trays and covered them with lids. The contestants were taken back to the dining room which had been set up with a Pokémon table.

The contestants all sat down as each girl came forward one at a time. Purrloin servants brought out the Poké Puffs in their covered trays. The King's Furfrou, the Queen's Delcatty, and Duke Grovyle tasted the treats and Grovyle translated what the Pokémon thought of the taste. Between tasting, the Pokémon rinsed their mouths with water to taste the next set. Most of the girls didn't make impressive ones, but Katelyn and Bianca had ones that were okay.

Patricia was the second to last to be judged. She smiled brightly as she walked in front of the judge's table with her Pokémon. The Purrloin servant placed her covered tray on the table and removed the lid. The Pokémon failed to not wince at the first sight of it. The King, Queen, and Archduke tried really hard not to show what they thought.

"My, they look, um…interesting." said the Queen uneasily.

In truth, the Poké Puffs were a mess. Frosting dripped down torn and uneven sides and various toppings were just hurriedly dropped on top. Everyone could smell that they were burnt. The King and Archduke looked uneasily at the Poké Puffs. Blair and the others frowned. They knew this wasn't going to end well. Furfrou, Delcatty, and Grovyle had a Poké Puff set before them on plates and took a bite.

At once, Furfrou and Delcatty gagged and stepped back. Grovyle urgently gestured a Purrloin servant to bring him a basin which he spat up his Poké Puff into. Cinderella could understand the Pokémon as they complained.

"I can't get this taste off my tongue!" whined Furfrou.

"Mine's burnt with lumps in it!" hissed Delcatty upset.

The Pokémon servants quickly brought Furfrou, Delcatty, and Grovyle water to rinse their mouths. Patricia was surprised and upset. Grovyle frowned.

"What are these things?" he asked, "They taste like salt, are burnt and hard with lumps, and are a mess! These are the worse things we ever tasted in our lives!"

"That's what I thought." said the Archduke, "I'm sorry to say, my lady, that due to your poor work, you are disqualified."

Patricia's face turned red and her fists clenched. If she were a tea kettle, Patricia's Pokémon was sure that steam was coming out of her ears. Patricia marched back to the other contestants, angry and upset. She shoved her way past the other girls and into her waiting spot.

Now it was Cinderella's turn.

She walked over with her Pokémon and smiled at Furfrou, Delcatty, and Grovyle. The Pokémon judges smiled when the Purrloin brought the tray in and they smelled something good. It lightened up the Pokémon's dull mood a bit. When the lids were removed to reveal the Poké Puffs, everyone in the room all gasped in amazement. They had never seen anything so beautiful or smelled so good. Furfrou, Delcatty, and Grovyle each tasted one. Soon they ate their Poké Puffs, smiling.

Then they had seconds!

"These are delicious!" barked Furfrou, wagging his tail.

"I love these!" purred Delcatty. "They're the best things I ever had!"

Grovyle smiled at Cinderella. "These are the best Poké Puffs we have ever tasted. With all the flavors and decorations, it's like we're in a dream. The flavors are rich and the macarons and filling make it fun to eat. We can tell these Poké Puffs are made with love and teamwork. You and your Pokémon worked together to make the best Poké Puffs out of all our contestants."

"I agree." said the Queen, "Even the palace baker can't make something this beautiful. It's like I'm looking at a painting instead of a Pokémon treat."

"These are perfect, my lady." said the King. "You also made everything within the time limit. That is not an easy thing to do and you all seemed to enjoy it."

"Thank you, your highness," said Cinderella.

"May we have some more of your Poké Puffs?" asked Grovyle.

Cinderella smiled. "Yes, you may. Help yourselves."

"You've surprised us again, my lady," said the Archduke, "You will move onto the last round of the contest without a doubt."

"Thank you, your grace," said Cinderella. She curtsied and returned to her seat.

Patricia glowered at Cinderella, angry that she was out of the contest and that this new girl was better than her. Blair and the others cowered in the shadows. They knew what was going to come to them after this. The King, Queen, and Archduke spent ten minutes with their Pokémon before they made the final judgment. Katelyn and Bianca were moving on with two other girls.

"Alright, ladies," said the host, "Follow me to the final round."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After the other four girls were chosen, Cinderella and all the other fifteen contestants followed the host into a small theater with a stage. Patricia was still angry about the outcome of her Poké Puffs as she sat down disgruntledly. Cinderella, Katelyn, Bianca, and the two other remaining girls came forward as the host addressed them.

"This is the fourth round, ladies." said the Host, "This is the freestyle performance. One by one, the final five contestants and their Pokémon will perform on stage in front of an audience. You can do whatever you want within a time limit of twelve minutes. Normally, the winner of this round would compete with last year's champion in the final round, but since Ella Livingston is not here this year, whoever wins today shall become the new champion. We expect you and your Pokémon to put on a great show. You all have fifteen minutes to get ready. Good luck to all of you."

Cinderella and her Pokémon all went back to their room when they got there, they were met by the stepmother who was furious.

Cinderella smiled at her. "Hello. May I help you, madam?"

The stepmother glared at the mysterious girl. "My daughter should have moved onto the finals! You are responsible for my daughter's disqualification!"

"Who? Patricia?" said Cinderella, "She was just trying her best. I think she did a great job to get as far as she did, don't you?"

The stepmother did not like this answer.

"Almost there is not good enough!" she snapped, "I demand that you step down and let her compete in the last round!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, madam." said Valiant plainly, "That wouldn't be fair to both my mistress and your daughter. We worked hard to get to this far and it's not ours or our mistress's fault regarding your daughter's loss. That's simply how the judges saw it."

"I don't care about what they think!" shouted the stepmother, "You better let her perform or I'll-!"

"What's going on here?" bellowed a voice.

Everyone jumped and turned to see the Archduke and Duke Grovyle walking down the hallway. The stepmother quickly bowed her head and smiled at the two of them.

"You again?" said the Archduke, "Are you bothering my daughter?"

The Stepmother turned pale. "Y-y-your daughter?"

"Yes, madam, she is my daughter." said the Archduke.

Cinderella and her Pokémon were surprised by this. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. The Archduke telling a down-right lie to a duchess? However, they could see that the Archduke was helping them out, so they played along.

"It's true, madam," said Valiant.

"If you have a problem with the judges' decision, Duchess," said the Archduke, "Then why aren't you complaining to them?"

The stepmother didn't answer his question.

Instead, she stammered, "I, uh… I-I was just leaving."

And she quickly walked away. As soon as she was out of sight and earshot, Cinderella gave the Archduke a grateful look.

"Thank you, your grace," she said.

"No need to thank me, Ella." said the Archduke, "It was my pleasure."

Cinderella and her Pokémon jumped, their hearts skipping.

"How did you know who I was?" gasped Cinderella.

"My dear, I know everything about you." said the Archduke, "Even a mask can't hide that from me. But don't worry. I won't tell anyone who you are."

Cinderella smiled at the Archduke.

"We can't wait any longer." said Valiant, "We need to get ready for the final performance."

"Of course," said Duke Grovyle, "We won't keep you any longer. Good luck to all of you."

"Thank you," said Cinderella.

With that, she and her Pokémon entered their room. The maids and Cinderella's Lady-in-Waiting were waiting for them. For fifteen minutes, the maids and their Pokémon worked to get them ready for the final performance.

For the final performance, Cinderella wore a white off-the-shoulder gown made from her mother's wedding dress. It was pure white with pearl and diamond embroidered lace on the sweetheart neckline, trumpet-flared sleeves, and beautiful gold and floral printed accents on the skirt. She wore laced gloves, her royal riband, laced dancing shoes, and a pearl and diamond necklace with matching earrings. A matching side tiara with white false flowers dunned her hair in a braided up-do.

Her Pokémon all wore similar outfits. Rose wore a white flower tiara with a simple white dress and her mother's pendant on a pearl and diamond collar. Ariel and Bella wore similar dresses, gloves, and necklaces as Cinderella with the same flower tiaras and their ribands. Valiant, Rex, and Mikey all dressed up as Pokéguards in the traditional red uniform with their ribands. Valiant wore a black cloak with golden trimming for his.

After dressing up, they got out their props for their performance. When they were just getting everything finished up, there was a knock at the door. Valiant answered it to find the host.

"Are you and your Pokémon ready, my lady?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, sir," said Cinderella.

"Good," said the host, "You are fifth in line to perform. Follow your footmen backstage."

Cinderella and her Pokémon took their things and followed their footman escort down the hall and back to the theater. They entered backstage to find the other girls waiting there with Katelyn and Bianca.

Katelyn and her Pokémon were all dressed in a pink and purple color theme. She, Anna, and Cherry all wore the same simple dresses with pink ribbons. Pinky had a grand bow on her wings that made them look bigger and grander and had a tiara of yellow flowers. Flash wore an elaborate bridle and saddle with jewels, pink and purple silk, and a white feather plume. Sky wore a suit with the same colors and a prop sword.

Bianca and her Pokémon were already waiting on stage, but they had a different theme. She wore a purple dress with different overcoats. Peter was decorated with various flowers and leaves to go with the bud on his back and grass cuffs. Fuzz wore a yellow collar with orange and red ribbons and golden bells. Poppy and Daisy were dressed as the flowers they were named after. Splash was wearing a white and light blue blouse and ribbons showing snow and ice.

Rose looked up at Cinderella, very nervous.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Cinderella whispered.

"I'm so nervous, Cinderella." whimper Rose, "They're so many people and Pokémon out there. What if I mess everything up for us?"

"Don't worry." said Cinderella, "We're all in this together. I was scared for my first performance."

"Really?" said Rose, "What happened?"

"I did well, but my dress tore before I went on stage." said Cinderella, "I was able to fix my dress in time. I won that first day. Just believe in yourself and you can do anything."

Cinderella and Rose hugged. Rose now felt much better. She was still nervous, but not that much anymore.

The host finally began to talk on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Your royal highnesses! I am pleased to announce that we are ready for the final performance of this year's Perfect Princess contest! These five young ladies have performed before our esteemed group of judges and are ready to perform in our freestyle round! First, let us welcome our first contestant, Lady Bianca Goodland, daughter of Baron and Baroness Goodland!"

The crowd applauded as the curtain opened. Cinderella smiled and watched as her friend and her Pokémon bowed to the audience. Music started in the orchestra pit and Bianca and her Pokémon began their performance.

They were performing a dance representing the seasons. Poppy and Daisy played the season of spring as dancing flowers, using their Attract to send hearts into the audience. Peter played the season of summer, using his Vine Whip to make Bianca fly and his Solar Beam to make a sun. Fuzz played the season of fall, turning the leaves shades of red, orange, gold, and brown and using Hyper Voice to make the sun explode into a dazzling display of golden light. Splash played the season of winter, using her Water Spout and Ice Beam to create snow.

Bianca and her Pokémon danced gracefully together as the audience watched in amazement. At the end of their dance, Peter and Splash used Solar Beam and Ice Beam with Poppy and Daisy's Assist of Flamethrower and Razor Leaf to create a display of colorful fireworks with the four seasons. They finished and bowed to the audience who clapped and applauded.

The next girl came and went with her performance, then the third girl.

Then it came to Katelyn and her Pokémon. They also had a dance, but Anna and the other performed acrobatic stunts. Cherry and Sky rode Flash as she jumped with flaming wheels made by Anna. Pinky rested on Katelyn's back and used Psychic to lift her into the air, making it seem like she was a flying fairy. Cherry and Sky used Spark and Helping Hand to create a lighting show. They all bowed as they finished their performance.

Finally, it was Cinderella's turn. With the curtains closed, she and her Pokémon went out on stage and got their props ready. Her other friends were in the orchestra pit, ready with musical instruments.

They heard the host speak up. "And now, please welcome our last contestant, the Masked Maiden!"

The curtains opened as the audience applauded. Cinderella and her Pokémon smiled brightly as the lights and crowd came into view. She signaled her friends to start playing the music and their performance started.

Their performance was a song telling the tragic story of a young girl who under a dreadful curse. Cinderella was the narrator, Rose was the cursed girl, Valant was a noble knight, and the others played side rolls. They moved props and used their powers to add special effects to impress the audience.

They first showed the song's landscape with Ariel making a meadow theme with Magic Leaf while Bella and Mikey using Signal Beam and Razor Wind to create a sun. Then Rex then performed an acrobatic dance with Steel Wing that reflected the light around the theater, much to the audience's and judges' delight. Cinderella, Ariel, Bella, Rex, and Mikey all danced as they sung of the harvest and the castle on an island where the girl lived. Leaves, sparks, embers, and shadows danced around them as they dance and sung with their friend.

Rose acted the girl's part, weaving a colorful web night and day knowing that she is cursed, but doesn't know what the curse could be. Kept in a tower weaving with a mirror as her only window to the outside world, the girl is sad and lonely, longing to have a knight of her own. Rose used Protect to create a mirror and performed a sad, yet graceful dance as she pretended to weave and sung beautifully. She was surprised that she could perform so well. Everyone was amazed by her voice and performance.

Ariel made a Moon with Moonblast and held it up with Psychic as she Rex acted as two newlywed lovers which the girl saw in the mirror. Rose acted out the girl's sadness and loneliness. At this point, Valiant announced his entrance as the knight as he danced in. He used Heal Pulse to create a magical effect as he and the other sung as the knight traveled to the forbidden castle.

The girl fell in love with the knight and watched him as he traveled to the castle and caught a glimpse of it in the mirror. The moment she saw the forbidden castle, her weaving flew away and the mirror shattered to pieces. She knew the curse was upon her but left her home to meet her knight. She found a boat below a willow and wrote her name on the prow before drifting down the river towards the castle.

The Pokémon changed the scene to a dark, cold night that caused fear and sadness in the audience. As the boat drifted down the river, the girl looked at the castle. On the way there, she sang as the night slowly froze her blood and she died from the cold as she reached the castle's town. Ariel, Bella, Mikey, and Rex performed a sad dance. Mikey's Ice Beam and Dark Pulse created a cold misty night for effect.

The girl in the boat reached the castle at dawn and the Pokémon surrounded the boat, reading her name, and weeping for her death. In the last verse, the knight meets the girl and comments her beauty while asking the gods to grant her mercy upon death. Valiant finished by firing an Aura Sphere into the air which softly exploded into a beautiful aurora that danced over the audience.

Upon finishing, the audience broke into applause, touched and impressed. Cinderella and her Pokémon smiled as they bowed.

"Oh, my goodness," wept the Queen, "That was so beautiful! All I want to do is see my mother."

"I know kings don't cry," said the King, "But that song was filled with so much emotion and love. It felt all real and it makes me feel like crying and smiling. I'd never seen or heard anything more tragic and beautiful in my life."

Even the host wiped tears from his eyes.

"That was definitely worth the wait." he sniffed before regaining his composure, "Will all the finalists please join me on stage?"

Katelyn, Bianca, and the other two finalists joined Cinderella on stage. The Pokémon stood with their trainers as the audience applauded again.

"So, who will it be, ladies and gentlemen? Who is this year's winner? Your Highnesses, do you and the judges have a winner?"

"You have all done well, ladies." said the kings, "We wish that all our contestants could be the winner, but there can only be one choice."

The King gave a Pigeot an envelope with the royal seal. It quickly flew down and gave the envelope to the host. The host opened the envelope and read it carefully.

"The winner of the Perfect Princess Contest by unanimous decision is… the Masked Maiden!"

Cinderella heart leaped as the audience applauded. She almost didn't believe it.

"We won!" said Rose, smiling proudly.

Cinderella smiled and giggled as she and her Pokémon all hugged each other happily. One of the other girls looked like she was going to cry while the other scowled upset. Katelyn and Bianca both came over to Cinderella smiling.

"Congratulations!" said Bianca.

"That was amazing!" said Katelyn, "Great job!"

Cinderella hugged her friends. "Thank you, girls."

The King, Queen, and Archduke came on stage with a money satchel and a golden trophy.

"My lady," said the King, "We congratulate you and your Pokémon for your spectacular performance today. As the winner of the Perfect Princess contest, we present to you this trophy and 10,000 Poké."

Cinderella took the trophy and the satchel, smiling.

"Thank you, your highness." she said, "I also congratulate all the girls and their Pokémon who performed today. I loved everyone's performance."

"You are most kind, my lady," said the Queen.

The host spoke again, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's give one more 'round of applause for our new winner!"

Everyone clapped for Cinderella.

"Thank you all for coming here to watch and support our contest and these lovely ladies! Tea and other awards will be waiting in the dining hall. Thank you again, and we hope to see you next year!"


End file.
